Lemon Sole Flavor Profile
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Texture |
Lemon Sole have a mild, sweet flavor but are more mild than Rock Sole. They have the classic tender, fine-flaked white flesh which you expect from smaller Flounders called Sole.
Typical Cooking Methods
- Bake
- Broil
- Deep-Fry
- Grill
- Poach
- Saute
- Smoke
- Steam
- Sushi
Alternate Names
Pleuronectes americanus – Georges Flounder refers to Lemon Sole under 1 pound; Winter Flounder and Blackback Flounder refer to Lemon Sole which are 2 – 3 1/2 lbs, Lemon Sole refers to fish which are 4+ pounds.
Hirame is the sushi name for sole.
Description
Lemon Sole are actually a Flounder, not a Sole, but are called “Sole” because the term is more marketable. There are two different species which are marketed as Lemon Sole, both from different regions:
Pleuronectes americanus – From the Western Atlantic waters of Canada and the US, these flounders have an average market weight of 1-2 pounds but can reach almost 8 lbs (3.6 kg) and 2 feet (64 cm) in length. In the US and Canada the term Lemon Sole usually refers to fish over 3 1/2 lbs (see Alternate Names note). They are a left-eyed flounder.
Microstomus Kitt – A European species from Eastern Atlantic waters including Iceland, the British Isles, Ireland, the White Sea down to the Bay of Biscay. They are a right-eyed flounder. Their top side is a reddish-brown color with marbled patches of pink and orange sprinkled with flecks of green and yellow. They usually have a distinctive orange patch behind the pectoral fin. European Lemon Sole can grow to 26 inches (65 cm) long with a maximum weight of about 6 pounds (3 kg) and live to be 23 years old.
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Typical Wholesale Products
Dressed, Fillets.
Fresh Lemon Sole Availability
Fresh seafood availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh.
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Lemon Sole Butchering Yield Percentage & Recovery
Item | To Skin/On Fillets | To Skin/Off Fillets | Notes |
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Whole Round | — | — | to Dressed Head/On 86% (+/- 4) |
Whole Round | — | — | to Dressed Head/Off 65% (+/- 10) |
Head/On gutted | — | 34% | — |
Head/Off gutted | — | 45% | — |
Yield % varies according to a number of factors including: size of fish, season, sex, and the skill of your fishmonger. |
How to Fillet Lemon Sole Video
Great video on how to skin sole and then how to fillet it. You can also just leave the skin on, follow the fillet technique to debone the fish, and then use your knive to remove the skin if you prefer that technique.
Nutritional Informationbased upon a 6 oz (171 grams) raw edible serving.
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Lemon Sole Sustainability Info
Name | Alternate Names | Catch Method | Catch Region |
Seafood Watch |
Ocean Wise |
Sea Choice |
Mercury Concerns |
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Lemon Sole,Pseudopleuronectes americanus | Blackback Flounder, Georges Flounder, Winter Flounder, Hirame | Wild – Bottom Trawl | US Atlantic | ![]() |
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Low |
Wild – Bottom Gillnet | US Gulf of Maine | ![]() |
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Lemon Sole, Microstomus kitt |
Lemon Dab, Mary Sole, Sweet Fluke | UK | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
Disclaimer: The sustainability info above is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, each program randomly updates their information without our knowledge. We therefore recommend that you verify the current accuracy of this information. | |||||||
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Updated August 2013 |
Comments from before Site Migration
Suggested Reading
I really like this – it is a tremendous resource – thank you. One thought would it better to describe Hirame as the Japanese name rather than Sushi name – Japanese is the language not Sushi?